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Amplifier clean / repair or replacement |
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TheGiantHogweed ![]() Registered User ![]() Joined: 03 October 2020 Status: Offline Points: 15 |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posted: 22 February 2021 at 11:51am |
Hi. My Pioneer A-209R has started to often be quieter on the right channel. This first started when
selecting between A and B speakers and would take many presses to get
both the channels to be balanced.
Since them, I've
checked all my cables, given the amplifier a blow out to attempt to remove the
dust and the problem still is there. http://www.wetherby.me/wiki/pub/Sandbox/RandomImages/P1150340.JPG http://www.wetherby.me/wiki/pub/Sandbox/RandomImages/P1150341.JPG
Listening carefully
and using the balance control, the right channel is just that bit
quieter on both A and B speakers. It also doesn't sound quite the
same. It sounds noticeably thinner as it lacks a little bass in
comparison to the left channel. There is also some noticeable cracking and popping with the balance control and when listening on very low volumes even on direct, the right channel cuts out before the right.
This problem isn't there 100% of the time, but it does constantly keep coming back. < ="text/">p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 115%; background: transparent }I'm thinking it will need some more cleaning out around the dials, but not really sure how I should do that or what sort of places would do amplifier repairs. I thought of getting a new amplifier, but where have all the budget integrated amplifiers gone? I can't find one that looks like it is at least decent hifi that isn't well over double the cost of my current amplifier. I bought my A-209R back in 2011. It got replaced due to a fault in the years warranty and has been fine since until recently. It cost around £140 new and I remember seeing loads of similar models like the A20 replace it. Also bought the Yamaha A-S300 for around £160 some years later. And through these years, I remember seeing plenty of affordable amplifiers around the £120 - £200 mark by brands like pioneer, Yamaha, Teac, Onkyo, Cambridge Audio, Dennon and quite a few others. Now the budget ones seem to have gone and the starting point for amps with pretty much identical features to my A-209r seems to be around £300. There also seem to be loads that are well under £100 but to me it seems a bit suspicious that they look pretty good but are so cheap and yet there are none available that are in the price bracket I would be wiling to go for. The Yamaha A-S301 has all the features I would want, but is literally double what the AS-300 cost and the only addition seems to be a couple of digital inputs. All this taken into account, a repair would probably be better!
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Earplug ![]() Old Croc ![]() Joined: 03 January 2012 Location: Europe Status: Offline Points: 6325 |
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My first suspicion would be a "bad" electrolytic capacitor somewhere in the RH signal path. Maybe do a re-cap on the whole thing before splashing out on a new amp. Also - it sounds like you may need a new balance pot. You most probably could do all the above for a tenner. Worth a shot, really. ![]() |
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Earplugs Are For Wimps!
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dj jammin ![]() Young Croc ![]() ![]() Joined: 10 April 2010 Location: southampton Status: Offline Points: 736 |
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As Earplug says above electrolytic caps are often the first thing to fail.. cheap and easy to replace. Also try to get some switch cleaner into the selector switch and the volume/balance pots. Maybe replace the pots if easy as they could be the cause.. Good luck!
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Reverence Sound system
www.mixcloud.com/B1_Jams/ |
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studio45 ![]() Old Croc ![]() ![]() Joined: 16 October 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 3803 |
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Forgive me if I'm wrong but it seems OP hasn't used any switch cleaner on the pots yet? That would be my first thought - sounds like the balance pot is dirty! Also sounds like the speaker selector switch could do with a dab of the magic spray. Servisol 10 is good stuff, or if you are in a spendy mood Deoxit D5 is supposed to be the mutts nuts.
There should be a small indent in the top of each pot that will allow you to use the supplied straw to spray cleaner inside. The selector switch should also have an aperture somewhere to let you get some in.
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Studio45 - Box Builder Commotion Soundsystem -Mobile PA
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TheGiantHogweed ![]() Registered User ![]() Joined: 03 October 2020 Status: Offline Points: 15 |
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As i'm not very familiar with this sort of thing, I probably will be better off sending it out to be repaired. I have found a local business that repairs these sort of things and as I don't want to risk experimenting myself any more than I have (spent quite a few hours checking cables, connectors and blowing the dust out) i don't mind that much if the balance control isn't perfect as I use it on direct most of the time and that bypasses bass, treble, balance and loudness. The speaker buttons were initially a problem, but I'm not sure what the reason for the channel balance when on direct is. The quoted price to diagnose the fault is very reasonable from what I've found out then They let you chose weather to go ahead and sort it out. If it is only a clean and a replacement of a cheap part, I don't think it will be much. I just don't want to risk these things myself.
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imageoven ![]() Old Croc ![]() Joined: 28 March 2007 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 2013 |
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Whats their labour rate, thats usually where the big part of the bill comes from.
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Keep pushing on, things are gonna get better.
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Pinyorouk ![]() Registered User ![]() Joined: 31 January 2011 Status: Offline Points: 477 |
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Very true,, electronic components are cheap, it's all about labour.
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